Precious Petals
by Kizoku Soyokaze
Summary: Katsushiro Okamoto's hometown is attacted by the bandits. His mother is kidnapped and his father is murdered. The only one who miraculously escapes is his older sister, Tonbo Okamoto. Tonbo searches for Katsushiro. Her intention is to join him in the fight for justice.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own _Samurai 7_.

**Precious Petals**

~ Chapter One ~

Ningyo Okamoto stood in the doorway of her house and stared wide-eyed at the approaching machines. She gripped the front of her shirt tightly in her right hand. "Oh no, they're here!" _I couldn't sleep at all last night. I had a feeling they'd come today._

Migiwa Okamoto, her husband, protectively pulled her close. He then turned to the young woman reading a manga, held out his hand to her, and spoke. "Tonbo!"

Tonbo Okamoto yanked her head up and her eyes met her father's. "Y-Yes?"

Her father stared at her with a serious expression. _I have to protect my family! _"Hurry up and run to the nearest line of trees and do not hesitate or look back."

Tonbo stared at him in confusion. "What? Are the bandits here?"

Her father reached for her hand, grabbed it and pulled her up. "Just go!"

She nodded. "R-Right!" Just as she ran out the back, she heard her mother scream and froze. She squeezed her eyes shut and struggled not to hold her breath. _Please, please don't let them see me! _She pressed herself hard against the outer wall of the house in an attempt to blend into the environment.

"There's one more," one of the machines said to the others.

"Where," asked the machine nearest the one that just spoke.

Tonbo didn't wait to hear the answer. She knew they knew where she hid and she opened her eyes and ran as fast as her legs could carry her. Adrenaline pumped through her and she ran faster than she ever thought she could and she didn't stumble. Everything slowed as her brain calculated the distance between her and the nearest line of trees. Her ears tuned into every sound around her and her brain calculated the distance between her and the bandits. Her normal side stich and leg muscle pain vanished. She didn't breathe heavily as she normally did. She just knew the bandits would chase her and she wanted to get as far away as possible.

Sweat slid along her flesh and drenched her clothes. Every time the wind blew, it felt nice and cool. The nearest line of trees quickly came into view. The moment she entered the woods, tree branches scratched at her exposed flesh and tugged her hair loose of her single ponytail.

A huge drop came into view and she stopped and stared down into a ravine. She noticed entwined trees just before the ravine. _Hmmm…Maybe I can slide down on my butt? Then again, what's to say that those entwined trees will hold my weight?_

A gust of wind flipped her bangs around her forehead and she heard the sound of machines nearby. Terrified the bandits would catch her, she took the chance. At first, she tried to carefully walk down the hill, but then her feet slid out from under her and she fell on her bottom. She scooted herself forward until she slid easily along the slope.

At the bottom of the slope just before the ravine, she clung to the entwined trees. When the sound of machines came closer, the entwined trees became her monkey bars. She tightly held onto the portion of entwined tree above her as she hung between the top of the ravine wall and the portion of entwined tree to her left.

The not so smart bandits flew over her.

She stuck her tongue out, only to get a taste of dirt. She grimaced as she buzzed her tongue and spit. "Yuck!" Dirt dropped onto her hair and into her eyes. _Youch, it burns!_

She slowly blinked. "Phew!" _That was a close one._

The entwined trees once again became her monkey bars as she carefully positioned herself as to where the drop wouldn't be too far. When she dropped, she landed on her feet, but the impact caused a painful shock.

_I have to find Katsushiro! _She limped her way along the length of the ravine. 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own _Samurai 7_.

**Precious Petals**

~ Chapter Two ~

It was not but a few days later when Tonbo discovered her younger brother amongst the shelter of a cave in the side of a mountain. She snuck up beside him, dropped to her knees and poked his cheeks with a whispered, "Katsushiro. Hey, Katsushiro."

_Huh? That can't be Tonbo. _He sleepily groaned and opened his eyes a little. When he saw that it indeed was Tonbo, his eyelids shot up and he quickly sat up. "Tonbo! What're you doing here?"

She clapped a hand over his mouth with the roll of her eyes and whispered, "Moron. Not so loud."

He pried her hands away with the shake of his head. "Don't call me names, sis."

She flicked him in the forehead. "I came here to join you."

He rubbed his forehead with his right hand and swatted at her with his left. "Ow! Cut it out!" He realized what she'd just said and stared at her with nervousness. "Wait. What now?"

She raised her eyebrows at him. _You've got to be kidding me. _"Are you deaf or something?"

He crossed his arms over his chest with a sigh and the roll of his eyes. "Any other insults you'd like to toss my way." _Jeez, she's always so mean!_

Heihachi Hayashida approached. "Hey, Katsushiro." When he saw the young woman beside him, he turned around and started to walk away. "Oh, I'm sorry for interrupting."

Katsushiro felt his face heat up. "Hey, wait just a minute! It's not like that!"

Heihachi turned around.

Tonbo laughed and struck a sexy pose. "Oh, what's the matter little bro?"

The young boy shrieked. "Will you stop it?"

She licked her tongue in a seductive way. "Oh, Katsushiro. You're so immature."

He gave her a look of disbelief. "I don't know how you figure that! I'm not the one with a dirty mind!"

She poked his cheeks. "Admit it."

He felt himself on the brink of explosion, all the embarrassment. "Heihachi, help me!"

Heihachi sat down beside the young woman. "May I ask who you are?"

She turned her head in his direction and her eyes met his. "Tonbo Okamoto. I'm Katsushiro's older sister."

Katsushiro mumbled, "You may be older than me, but you sure don't act it."

Something inside her boiled as she slowly turned her head and stared at her younger brother with an expression of fury. She spoke in a harsh voice. "Care to repeat that?"

He carelessly shrugged. "You heard me." _At this point, I really don't care if she smacks me or screams at me. Staring into the face of my own death is scarier._

She pinched and pulled at his cheeks. "You dare insult me?"

Heihachi laughed. "Ah, siblings."

Katsushiro glared at him. "It's not funny!"

Heihachi tried to hide his laughter. "You're right. I'm sorry."

He pried his older sister's hands off his face. "That really does hurt, you know."

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him close. "You're so easy to get to. That's what makes you fun to mess with." She ran her fingers through his hair and buried her face in his hair. _I miss the smell of his hair and how soft it feels. Oh, brother dear, I can't bear to think of life without you! _The cold, dark thoughts of life without her younger brother saddened her and tears gathered in her eyes and overflowed onto her cheeks.

He heard her sniffle and took her hands in his. _These hands were once soft, but now are hard with calluses. _


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own _Samurai 7_.

**Precious Petals**

~ Chapter Three ~

Tonbo Okamoto shivered as the frigid night air sliced through her clothes. Her face and ears burned from the wind's chill. She slowly walked behind her younger brother, her breath a smoky cloud in front of her face. New flakes of snow began to shower around her. She stopped, lifted her face skyward and stared at the full moon with a sigh.

A shadow appeared behind her and a girly-boy's voice echoed amongst the forest walls. "Heh-heh. Hello there."

Katsushiro swiftly placed himself between Ukyo and his older sister. He glared deep into the man's eyes. "You have no business with my sister!" He then turned to her and whispered, "Run away."

Her eyes widened and she shook her head.

He nudged her with his right elbow and his whisper became harsh. "Just do it."

Ukyo snickered. "Well, well! Looks like you're not someone I should mess around with."

_I don't like this guy's attitude! _Something went off inside Tonbo and she spun around in front of her younger brother with a right kick. "Leave us alone!"

Ukyo caught her foot in his right hand. "Ha-ha, nice try!"

She shoved and kicked her foot from his grasp. "Sh-Shut up, you!" Her right foot stomped the ground as her left leg swung around in a wide arc and a powerful kick. "Don't you dare even consider that this'll be easy because I'm a woman!"

He dodged her kick. _She's impulsive._

With a forward stumble, she almost fell flat on her face, but caught herself just in time.

He launched himself at her in a tackle from behind.

"Heh. Sorry, bucko." A flip onto her hands, her arms slightly bent at the elbows, her legs firm, she squeezed her stomach muscles and allowed her body to bend to her will. "YAAAAAAA!" Her legs shoved through the frigid air and towards his chin. Her feet hit his chin.

"Ouch!"

Closer to him, she bent her legs and pulled herself in at the waist as she aimed lower. "HIIIIYAAAAAA!" Once more, her legs shoved through the frigid air, but at his sensitive area that time.

He caught her feet and shoved them away from his private area. "Phew!" _That was a close one!_

"AHHHHH!" On the ground, she glared up at him. "Don't count your chickens before they hatch!" She swung back up onto her hands and came at him with a spin kick. "EEEEEYAAAA!"

He struggled to block her. "Jeez, you never quit, do you?"

She continued to spin kick.

He caught her legs and held them tightly together.

Jaw tight, she gritted her teeth in a struggle to free her legs from his grasp. "Errrgh! L-Let me go!" Inside her chest, her heart pounded. _No! What's he going to do to me? _She wrapped her arms around his legs in an attempt to knock him down. "Jerk!" _Okay. Why doesn't my weight knock him over?_

"Heh-heh! I know who you are."

Intense chills chased along her spine and she gasped a shudder. _This guy! Just who is he? _

Ukyo gathered her into his arms and swung her over his right shoulder. "Enough, princess."

She shrieked at him and pounded her fists into his back. "Get your hand off my butt this instant, you perv!"

He sighed and rolled his eyes.

Terrified, she began to whimper. "Please, I beg you, don't hurt me." _This man is__ bigger and stronger than me._


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own _Samurai 7_.

**Precious Petals**

~ Chapter Four ~

Sunlight poured through the window and onto Tonbo's face. She peeked up at the ceiling through barely open eyes. "Hm? It's morning already?" The memories of that night flashed through her mind as she stretched and rolled over with a yawn and the rub of her eyes. Suddenly, she found herself to fall off the edge of a bed. _Huh? _"Ah!" Crash landed on her face, she laid there with a sigh and a groan. "Ouch. Well, now, that really hurt."

Katsushiro gently slid the bedroom door open. He approached the futon with a smile. "Hey there. I see you're awake."

She sat up with a sigh and her lips made a strange noise as the air produced caused her hair that hung messy in her face to blow heavenward.

He chuckled. "Okay, okay, I get it, Missy Horse." _I cannot believe she just gave me a horse noise. _He dropped to his knees beside her and gently lifted her from the floor. _She's light as a feather. _

Her eyes met his as she sat on the edge of the bed.

He noticed her petite, slim figure and grinned from ear-to-ear._ She looks like a doll. _

She noticed him stare at her and instantly felt self-conscious about her body. Her eyes shaded over and her hands flew up to gently cup her throat. _My words are locked here. Why? I don't understand this tension deep inside of me._

He picked up on the gesture and immediately felt guilty and lowered his head as he averted his eyes. He felt his face heat up.

Heihachi entered the bedroom. He smiled with the wave of his hand. "Hey guys. What's up? How about some breakfast?"

Her heart pounded and her stomach twisted painfully. With she shake of her head, she couldn't bear to look either of them in the eye. "Mm-mm! I'll pass on breakfast." Something deep inside her felt about to burst if she didn't tell them a secret she had kept hidden from even her parents. She hoped with all her heart that they didn't already know. _I don't know how long I can keep this a secret. _

Heihachi waved a hand in front her face. "You're a spacy one."

She smacked his hand away. "Knock it off!" Immediately afterwards, she winced at how harsh she sounded. "I-I'm sorry!"

Heihachi shook his head. "Don't worry about it." He turned to Katsushiro and asked, "Would you mind gathering the others for breakfast?"

He nodded and left the room.

Tonbo opened her mouth to speak, but Heihachi lifted his right index finger in a motion to stop her. With that, she closed her mouth and he started to speak, his eyes aglow with gentleness. He noticed her awkwardness and figured something bothered her. "So…wanna tell me what's up?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing." She stood from the bed and tried to walk off, but the room spun and her legs trembled. Her knees buckled under her and her feet were no longer able to keep her stabilized. Down she went.

Heihachi hurriedly gathered her into his arms. _What happened? Is she all right? _He noticed the way she barely breathed and to him she appeared so fragile. The sudden echo of swords nearby alerted him and he carried her in his arms as he made his way towards the door. He reached for the wooden frame and then swung the door aside. "Katsushiro!"

Tonbo heard loud footfalls and she kicked her legs wildly. "Please, put me down!" She gathered all her strength and just in time, she managed to knock him down and land on her hind end in front of him. She pinned him down. "Don't move."

He fought her off him. "Hey!"

She struggled with the tip of Ukyo's sword. "Please, just listen to me!" The sword pierced her from behind and she stared at Heihachi with wide eyes. **KAK-KAK! **Blood splattered from her mouth and dripped from her chin. She lost her grip on Heihachi and collapsed on top of him. She whispered to him, "Run."

He hesitated. "Are you insane? You'll die!"

With the strength that remained, she shoved him in the direction of a window. "MOVE IT!" _Are we deaf, or what?_

He lifted her into his arms and rushed towards the window. He opened the window, climbed onto the outside of the building and grabbed the nearest table thing to support them on the climb down.

She spoke to him in a sarcastic manner. "Never remove an injured person."

He gently scolded her. "Ha-ha, nice try. You haven't broken your neck, or hit your head, numbskull." _Oh, but she sure is bleeding heavily! _As soon as his feet touched the ground, he darted towards the nearest place he considered to be safe.

Once amid the shelter of the thick woods, he gently laid her flat on her back. He noticed the bones that slightly poked out from under her skin. _She's too thin. _The black circles under her eyes looked dark and her skin had an all-too pale look to it. Her skin flaked and her hair had so little sheen to it. _Her skin and hair are dehydrated. _

He sat down beside her with a gulp. _I hope she doesn't wake and knock me out. _He clumsily unbuttoned her blouse.

She caught his hand and her fingernails dug into his flesh. Her eyelids flew up and she glared up at him. "What do you think you're doing?" She sat up and tears gathered in her eyes as she shoved his hand away. "Don't touch me!" She squeezed her eyes shut and tears rolled along her cheeks. Pain surged through her heart. She hugged her knees to her chest and buried her face in her lap. She wailed through her sobs and it felt as if she released something she had held back for what seemed to her like forever.

He gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her close. "I have to take your clothes off in order to reach your injury."

_That sounds so dirty! _She shook her head. "I can do it!"

It took some time, but he eventually coaxed her into allowing him to take care of her injury. In the end, he figured he'd have to find a way to wash her clothes, dry them and stitch them.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own _Samurai 7_.

**Precious Petals**

~ Chapter Five ~

Heihachi and Katsushiro bantered.

Katsushiro playfully elbowed his older sister. "You have a crush on Heihachi, don't you?"

She glared at him. "Shut up, idiot!"

His eyes widened. _Oh? What's this? _He noticed something misty gather in her eyes.

Her fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white and her fingernails dug into the palms of her hands. Jaw tight, she spat her words at him in a saucy tone of voice. "Just shut up!" Moisture heated up her eyes as she struggled to hold back her tears. With a sniffle, she lowered her head and raised the back of her hand to her nose. A lovely silver ring shimmered in the moonlight and with one swift motion, her arm dangled at her side, sleeve gripped in the palm of her hand. She shook her head. " It's someone else." Tears rolled along her cheeks and she began to tremble. _Why? Why do I feel so weak? I know better! I know I shouldn't love him, but I can't stop myself! Why am I always so feeble? I can't stand the pain inside my chest! I want to be by his side! _Memories flashed inside her mind and she buried her face in her hands and sobbed."Answer this." She paused a moment before continuing. "What's one plus one?"

"Two," answered Katsushiro.

She shook her head. "No, it's three. I have something to tell you guys." She looked from Heihachi to Katsushiro. "Don't judge me."

Heihachi nodded. "Go on."

She took on a firm look. "I mean it."

Heihachi stared at her with softness and sighed. "I promise not to judge you." He nudged Katsushiro with his elbow.

"What is it, sis? I promise not to judge you."

She slowly blinked with a gulp. "I-I…" Her face flushed deep red and her voice cracked. _I have to! _"I don't want you to be upset, Katsushiro." She paused before adding, "Or you, Heihachi."

The suspense pressured Katsushiro on all sides. "Please tell us, sis."

She cleared her throat and took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. _I have to look both of them in the eye and say it. _"I know who the father is so-"

Katsushiro's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in shock as he stated the obvious. He seemed like it at times, but he was by no means a moron. "Wait a minute! Sis, are you trying to say that you're pregnant?"

She nodded. "I found out recently."

Heihachi smiled and gave her a thumbs up. "Congratulations!"

She stared at him as if he had lost all sense of sanity. "Ummm…Should you really be this happy about it? I mean, you're not even the father."

He just simply asked, "Who is the father?"

She smiled. "A man two years older than me. He left town and never returned."

Heihachi shook his head. "What's his name?"

"Kyuzou."

A sad look immediately came over Katsushiro and Heihachi.

She looked from Katsushiro to Heihachi. "Hey now, why the long faces?"

Heihachi started to explain. "Ummm…I guess you don't know."

She pressed him. "What is it?"

He couldn't bear to tell her. It was too much. "Kyuzou…well you see…he…"

Katsushiro spoke quickly. "Kyuzou is dead. I accidentally shot him. I'm sorry." He withdrew himself backwards and held his arms in front of him in defense as if he expected his older sister to want to kill him. He almost screamed when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, but he realized she wasn't going to kill him and only a small sound escaped his lips.

She held her younger brother close. "I don't like the fact that he's dead, but I can't run away like a scared little girl."

Heihachi gently patted her shoulder. "That's very brave of you."

It felt like a piece of her heart had been ripped out. Someone special in her life was dead. She hadn't even gotten to speak to him or hold him tightly in her arms. _Is he smiling down at me? _

A sense of peace answered her and she smiled and closed her eyes. _He's happy._


End file.
